The present invention relates to compositions and methods for absorbing the sebum, sweat, and other substances on skin and delivering sulfur can be delivered to the skin, including but not limited to the epidermis, dermis and stratum corneum.
Skin may become irritated and certain skin disorders may be exacerbated by materials which accumulate on the skin, including but not limited to sebum (the fatty secretion of the sebaceous glands), sweat, make-up, and dirt, as well as residue from cosmetics and pharmaceuticals applied to the skin (collectively xe2x80x9cskin materialsxe2x80x9d). Patients with skin disorders including but not limited to seborrhea, acne rosacea and acne vulgaris are treated with numerous solutions, lotions and creams. However, the problem of skin irritants, including but not limited to skin materials, persists even during and after use of these treatments.
This invention provides for sulfur delivery to the skin, including but not limited to stratum corneum, epidermis, and dermis, and its cutaneous absorption, while also absorbing cutaneous irritants (including but not limited to skin materials, such as components of sweat, sebum, moisture, epidermal metabolites, as well as residue from cosmetics and pharmaceuticals applied to the skin). In the prior art, these two actions have been known to oppose each other with absorption action inhibiting the delivery of sulfur or sulfur derivatives.
Sulfur (or elemental sulfur) is a chemically active element. In addition to its elemental form, sulfur forms many compounds. Forms of sulfur suitable for use in the present invention are those forms of elemental sulfur that are known to be useful in dermatological compositions, including but not limited to, colloidal, coated, enrobed, entrapped, fumed, precipitated, washed, and sublimed sulfur, milk of sulfur, and flowers of sulfur. The preferred form of elemental sulfur for use in the present invention is precipitated sulfur.
xe2x80x9cSulfur derivativesxe2x80x9d refers to any composition that contains organic or inorganic sulfides, inorganic sulfites, organic or inorganic mercaptans, or any other than is being applied to the skin or hair of a user, including but not limited to cationic sulfur compounds, such as selenium sulfide, potassium sulfide, poly-potassium sulfide, poly-calcium poly-sulfide, H2S, sulfuric acid, bisulfides, sulfur dioxide, thiols, organic salts, sodium sulfacetamide, or combinations thereof (most preferably sodium sulfacetamide).
Inorganic sulfides suitable for use in connection with the present invention are those inorganic sulfides known to be useful in dermatological compositions and include, but are not limited to, selenium sulfide, sodium thiosulfate as well as those inorganic sulfides having the formula: RS, RSH, R2S, RSSR, or RSSH, wherein R is an inorganic element that can bind ionically or covalently with sulfur.
Organic sulfides suitable for use in connection with the present invention are those organic sulfides known to be useful in dermatological compositions and include, but are not limited to, those organic sulfides having the formula: RS, R2S, RSH, Rxe2x80x2SSRxe2x80x2, or Rxe2x80x2SSH, wherein Rxe2x80x2 is an organic compound and its salts that can bind ionically or covalently with sulfur. Exemplary organic sulfides include, but are not limited to sodium thioglycolate (sodium mercaptoacetic acid), and gluathione.
Inorganic sulfites suitable for use in the present invention are those inorganic sulfites known to be useful in dermatological compositions, including but not limited to, sulfites and metabisulfites.
The carrier for active ingredients (active ingredients include but are not limited to sulfur and sulfur derivatives) must be xe2x80x9cdermatologically acceptablexe2x80x9d in the sense of being compatible with the active ingredients and not injurious to the subject. Carriers include those suitable for topical administration and may be prepared by methods known in the art.
Skin is defined to include the epidermis, dermis, stratum corneum or combinations thereof on a mammal, preferably human, cat or dog.
An embodiment of the present invention is a high sorption composition which comprises sulfur and one or more sulfur derivative, and one or more high sorption base. A high sorption base comprises one or more non-swelling clay, one or more gum, one or more swelling clay, one or more silicon, or combinations thereof. The high sorption base allows both the penetration of the sulfur and sulfur derivatives and delivery to the skin, and also absorbs skin irritants (or irritants), including but not limited to skin materials.
Sulfur may be delivered to the skin in a therapeutically effective manner either as elemental sulfur or as a sulfur derivative. Once delivered to the skin, the sulfur or sulfur derivative may act directly or may first be converted to another sulfur-containing chemical entity.
Clay materials are sorptive minerals characterized by low bulk density and layered lattice crystal structures. These minerals are derived from condensed forms of silicic acid, H4SiO4, where each silicon atom is surrounded by four oxygen atoms inducing a tetrahedral structure. Chains or two-dimensional sheets are formed when the tetrahedral structures are linked together by the sharing of common oxygen atoms. Clay materials are composed of such silica tetrahedral sheets with a central alumina octahedral sheet. The non-swelling clay preferably comprises Kaolin, a hydrated aluminum silicate with an approximate formula Al2O8.2SiO2.H2O, such as Vanclay. Swelling clays are known to swell to a very large extent when the dry clay is contacted with water, and include, smectites for example montmorillonite, bentonite, clinoptilolite, vermiculite, magadite, smectite, laponite, and beidellite, preferably magnesium aluminum silicate, such as Veegum Ultra by R. T. Vanderbilt Company, Inc., Norwalk, Conn.
The gum comprises a natural gum, an artificial gum or a combination thereof, preferably xanthan gum which is a high molecular weight heteropolysaccharide gum produced by a pure-culture fermentation of a carbohydrate with Xanthomonas campestris, such as Keltrol CGF by Calgon Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Silicon means any composition that contains silica, colloidal silica, colloidal hydrated silica, precipitated silica, or silica gels, including but not limited to silicon dioxide.
Another embodiment includes a composition comprising water, xanthan gum, magnesium aluminum silicate, kaolin, silicon dioxide, sodium sulfacetamide, sodium thiosulfate, glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate, quillaia saponaria extract, benzyl alcohol, and sulfur.